[95, Am, Americium, 镅, (243)]

“Okay, let me get this straight. You built an atomic bomb.”

“好吧，我直说吧。你制造了一颗原子弹。”

“Yes.”

“对。”

“Out of smoke detectors.”

“用烟雾探测器造的。”

“No, I only got the fissionable material from smoke detectors. Each one contains a tiny fleck of americium. It’s the only transuranic element you can buy at Target.”

“不对，我只是从烟雾探测器中获取可裂变材料。每个烟雾探测器都包含一小点镅。这是唯一一种你可以在网上生活用品店里买到的超铀元素。”

“How old did you say you are?”

“你刚才说你多大了？”

“Seventeen. But I’m advanced for my age. Look, I don’t see what’s so difficult to understand about this.”

“十七了。但是我已经超越我的年龄了。你瞧，我看不出有什么很难理解的。”

“No, of course not. The mayor of New York City being blackmailed by a high school junior? It happens all the time.”

“不，当然没有。纽约市市长被一名高中生勒索？这种事一直都在发生。”

“I’m home schooled. I’ve been working at a college level for some time.”

“我在家里接受的高等教育。我已经达到高校水平有一段时间了。”

“Look, kid, I gotta tell you, I never heard of an americium bomb.”

“你看，孩子，我得告诉你，我从没听说过有什么镅原子弹。”

“That’s because mine is the first. Uranium is a lot easier to work with, so the government never bothered. But you can’t get hold of uranium legally without a license from the NRC, and the kind of money the Russian Mafia wants is way out of my reach.”

“那是因为我的这个是第一个。铀要容易使用得多，因此政府从不用别的元素。但是，如果没有获得核管理委员会的许可，你就没办法合法地持有铀，而俄罗斯黑手党想要的钱实在是太多了。”

“You’re in contact with the Russian Mafia?”

“你和俄罗斯黑手党接触过了？”

“I think this conversation is drifting, don’t you? You wanna hear how I smelted the americium into two subcritical masses? Perfect hemispheres, see, because it’s triggered by explosive?”

“我认为这场对话正在跑题，不是吗？您想听听我如何将镅熔炼至两个亚临界质量吗？完美的半球，瞧，因为它是由爆炸引起的？”

“Okay, kid, let’s cut the crap. Just exactly what are you asking for?”

“好吧，孩子，让我们废话少说。你的要求到底什么？”

“Um ? well, gee. I guess I spent so much time planning this caper, I forgot that aspect of it. I, uh, really can’t think of anything I need.”

“嗯？嗯，天哪。我花了很多时间来规划这，我很高兴雀跃，但我忘了……我，嗯，真的想不到我需要什么东西。”

“Is that so?”

“真的吗？”

“Tell you what, why don’t I just go away, and I’ll blow up my bomb someplace remote where nobody gets hurt, okay?”

“这样吧，不如我走一边去，然后在一个没人会受伤的偏远地方引爆炸弹，这样好吗？”

“That’s not acceptable, kid. Listen, how about the city gives you our standard visiting dignitary package: Two weeks in a luxury hotel? Food, beverages, tips, and platinum blonde triplets included. Sound good to you?”

“这可不行，孩子。听着，这座城市将给你提供标准的来访贵宾待遇，在豪华酒店住两个星期，再加上食物，包括饮料、小费和金发三胞胎的。这个怎么样，听起来对你还行？”

“Wow. But I don’t think my parents would let me.”

“哇。但是我觉得父母不会同意我这么干的。”

“Well, what is it you like? Cars? Money? Drugs?”

“好吧，那你喜欢什么？汽车？钱？毒品？”

“To tell the truth, all I really like is blowing things up. That’s why I built the bomb.”

“说实话，我真的很喜欢炸东西。这也是为什么我会造炸弹。”

“So you’re a geek, is what you’re saying? You don’t like normal guy stuff, just all this science shit?”

“所以你是一个极客，你是这个意思吧？你不喜欢普通的东西，只喜欢所有这些科学什么的玩意儿？”

“You make it sound like being a geek is a bad thing.”

“在你的话听起来极客不是什么好东西。”

“Don’t get a hair up your ass, kid, I’m just working out the parameters. Here’s my final offer: I’ll get you a full scholarship to Cal Tech, find your parents jobs commensurate with their current employment nearby, and I’ll put in a good word with the NRC about that license. What do you say now?”

“别乱来，孩子。我只是在谈条件。这是我的最终出价：我将为你提供加州理工的全额奖学金，在附近给你的父母找个和他们目前差不多的工作，并且我还会就这件事帮你在核管理委员会那里美言几句。你觉得怎么样？”

“Really? That’s ? that’s wonderful. I don’t know how to thank you.”

“真的吗？真的？那太好了。我不知道该如何感谢你。”

“You don’t have to, kid. Our loss will be California’s gain.”

“不用，孩子。我们吃的亏将是加利福尼亚的福气。”

Target：美国日常用品购物网站

NRC：Nuclear Regulatory Commission，美国核管理委员会